Dance On Our Graves
by halfbloodprincess91
Summary: damon/elena, season 3 au. elena begins to see all the sacrifices damon makes for her and begins to wonder if stefan is really the man she claims him to be
1. Chapter 1: Absence

" _It's okay to love them both. I did."_

Katherine's words kept ringing in Elena's head. She heard them when she left Damon's room. She heard them when she drove home. And they were the last thing she thought when she fell asleep. But did she love them both? She knew she loved Stefan, that was a given. And she had feelings for Damon, sure. But were they strong enough to be love? She didn't want to think about it. So, she did what she did best - avoid. Damon had called her and left a voicemail when she woke up, but she just hit ignore and got ready. She had texted Bonnie and Caroline and they agreed to have breakfast at the Grill with her.

Half an hour later, she was seated at an outside table with her best friends.

"So, Damon is okay? Were you able to get the cure from Klaus?" Caroline asked, frowning.

"Um, yeah. He was starting to recover when I left last night. I'll check on him later." Elena said, not sure how to bring up the specifics.

"I'm sure Stefan will keep you updated, won't he? You should take it easy, it's been a rough couple of days with everything." Bonnie said, concerned.

"Stefan's gone." Elena decided to just come out with it, they'd find out eventually.

"WHAT!?" the witch and vampire shouted in unison.

"What do you mean he's gone?"

"Where did he go?"

Elena hushed them both, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched.

"Stefan had to agree to work with Klaus to get the cure. Katherine delivered it last night, and she said I wouldn't be seeing him for a long time. I texted him several times, but he never responded. All I can assume is that he's run off with Klaus who knows where. But Katherine was wrong, he won't be gone for long. I will keep calling him, and Damon will help find him. I know it." Elena bit back the heavy stream of emotions she was feeling. She had been so preoccupied with everything that had happened that she was still not processing Jenna's death and Stefan's deal with the devil.

Caroline and Bonnie squeezed Elena's hands, not sure what to say. What do you say to a 17-year-old girl who lost her parents (both adopted and biological), her aunt, and the love of her life in just over a year? Add vampires and doppelgangers and toxic werewolf bites in the mix, and it's impossible to know how to handle it.

"What can we do? Is there anything? Whatever it takes, we're here for you." Caroline smiled supportively.

"Thanks, you two. It will be okay. Ric is staying with us right now, although he refuses to sleep anywhere but the couch. And Jeremy and I still have one another, and Damon is still here. And of course, you two. So, don't worry, I'll be fine." Elena smiled forcefully, determined to put on a brave front. She didn't want to worry her friends, she knew everyone was concerned about her but really, they had bigger things on their plates. Like where did Klaus go and was he coming back? And where was Stefan, and what exactly was the deal he made with Klaus?

They ate and Elena said her goodbyes, promising to keep in touch. Bonnie was about to leave for the summer to go to her family's, but Caroline wasn't going anywhere and Elena knew she would be hounding Elena to make sure she was okay.

Elena pulled up to the boarding house and tried calling Stefan one last time. To her shock, he answered.

"Stefan! Where are you? Are you okay? Where is Klaus? When are you coming home?" Elena asked in a flurry of questions, desperate for more information.

There was a long pause and then, "Elena, I'm sorry."

"What?" She choked out, trying to keep her voice even.

"I won't be coming home. I made a deal with Klaus, I'm with him now. It was the only way to save Damon." His voice sounded different, void of emotion. Elena didn't understand, how could he have agreed to that?

"Stefan, please. You-you can't…there must be a solution. There is a solution. Bonnie will find something, Damon and I will work on getting you back. This won't be forever. Just tell me where you are, Stefan." Elena was openly crying at this point, desperate to get her boyfriend back or at the very least, get more information on what he was going on.

"No. Don't come looking for me, Elena. I mean it. I'm glad Damon is okay, but I'm a done deal. I'm back on human blood and I don't want you or Damon to look for me. Don't waste your time."

"No! No Stefan, I refuse! I -" Elena started to protest, but Stefan hung up.

"No…" she cried as she let her head fall forward against the wheel. She was relieved he was alive, but she was even more worried. He wasn't himself. Her Stefan wouldn't be so stoic, so cold. He didn't sound like he had shut off his humanity, so that was a good sign. But he was drinking human blood again, which was _really_ bad. What were she and Damon going to do? How were they going to fix this? She banged her head against the wheel as she started to sob. Everything came rushing to her at once-her aunt just died, the only parental unit she had left. John died and while she was never incredibly fond of him, he was still her biological father. And now Stefan was really gone.

Her car door opened and she jumped, startled, and looked to see who was interrupting her meltdown. Damon pulled her out of the driver's seat and gathered her in his arms.

"Elena, calm down. You need to breathe. It will all be okay, I promise." He murmured in her ear, as he ran his hand through her hair, trying to calm her.

"He-he's gone, Damon. He's drinking human blood and he won't tell me where he is and I'm scared and he was so cold and-" Elena hiccupped, her body begging for air through the sobs that were wracking her body.

Damon wordlessly picked her up and carried her inside as her sobs continued. He set her down on the couch and sat beside her, allowing her to cling to him for comfort. He shushed her and rubbed her back until finally, her crying let up and all you could hear was the occasional sniffle.

"What do we do, Damon?" Elena whispered.

"We will get him back, Elena. What did he say to you? Did he give you any clue?" He asked, hoping she could answer his question without breaking down again. He hated to see her so upset. He loved her more than he had loved anyone, even Katherine. He understood that she was wildly in love with his brother, and that the kiss they shared was a "you're dying" pity kiss, but that didn't stop him from wanting to stop her pain. If bringing Stefan home was the only thing that would accomplish that, then Damon would make it his life's mission to bring him back.

"No. Just that he was with Klaus, but they can't be too far, it's only been a matter of hours. But Damon…. he doesn't want to be found. Even if we did manage to find him and make a deal with Klaus, he's drinking human blood again. How do we bring him back?"

"Fuck what he said, Elena. I know my brother. He's not gone. This is my fault, he did this to save my life. I will bring him back." Damon swore as he placed a soft kiss on Elena's head. He didn't know what his plan was just yet, but he would come up with one. He would fix this.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Caroline asked anxiously as Damon sat down in the booth across from her.

"I need you to get your mother to keep an eye on any animal attacks in the area. Klaus and Stefan can't be far, and knowing my brother and his ripper tendencies, they'll leave a nice little trail of heads."

Caroline grimaced, not wanting to think of the utter destruction that Klaus and Ripper Stefan were capable of. She hadn't been in their world during his previous binge at the Miss Mystic Pageant, but she'd heard later from Elena what Stefan was like when he was consuming human blood. "And what are you going to do?"

"Keep Elena from falling apart. And from doing anything stupid, like always. The last thing we need is Klaus finding out his human blood bag is still alive."

"You really think you're the best person for that?" Caroline scoffed.

It was no secret she and Damon weren't best friends or anything above civil. But her insinuating that he couldn't handle Elena incensed him. Yes, he was an asshole and yes, he's done a lot of bad things – to Elena's best friends, even – but it was his fault she was in this mess and he'd do anything for her and fuck anyone who tried to say otherwise. The only other person who loved her like he did was dicking off with Klaus, so it fell to him and he was happy to do it. And if it meant more time with Elena, well that was just a happy accident.

"Says the one who is too involved in her boyfriend drama to notice her best friend spiraling." Damon sneered as he stood up. "Talk to your mom, let me know if anything comes up."

* * *

Damon stormed into the foyer, still seething from his meeting with Blondie. She acted like was so great, but he remembered how awful she was when he first came to town. Her vapid and shallow nature is what made her an easy target for compulsion. Becoming a vampire was the best thing to ever happen to her, but that didn't make her a damn saint. And it _definitely_ didn't put her in charge of Elena's well-being. That was his job, and the witch's, until his brother came home.

He poured himself a healthy double shot of bourbon before heading into the study to do some digging. As much as he had told himself in the past that the second his brother fucked up, he'd be all over Elena he couldn't bring himself to do anything now. Stefan the eternal martyr had run off with Klaus to save Damon's life. Elena was suffering because of him. Stefan was off the wagon because of him. Eventually, Stefan would listen and stop saving his life, but until then he was stuck saving his brother and not getting the girl. Again.

He had a news alert set up for any animal attack or violent attack in the tristate area so he would find something eventually. Stefan and Klaus could only remain hidden for so long, especially with Stefan's track record. Damon was 3 pages into results when his phone rang.

"What's up Ric?"

"It's Elena. She um…. she's packing and she's frantic."

"What do you mean she's packing? The fuck is she packing for?" Damon said through gritted teeth as he grabbed his keys.

"She's just talking incoherently, something about Jenna, and Stefan. I think she lost it, bud."

"Yeah, I'm on my way." Damon sighed, already in his car. What the _fuck_. It had been less than 24 hours since he last saw her. He knew she had spent the night there, he was the one that had carried her to bed after she fell asleep on the couch, but she was gone by the time he left to meet Caroline the following morning.

He walked into the Gilbert residence to Jeremy shouting over Elena. "Stop, Elena. You're not going anywhere!" he was standing in her doorway and Damon pushed him aside to see Elena throwing articles of clothing haphazardly around the room, the floor and bed littered with her wardrobe.

"Elena, stop." Damon grabbed her by the shoulders.

"No. I need to find Stefan." Elena said distractedly, not even bothering to look at Damon. It was like she was in a trance, not even aware of the 3 men staring at her, bewildered. Damon had been around for nearly a year and he had yet to see Elena like this, but he knew just the thing to get her attention.

"Oh, well, why didn't you say? How dare I stand in your way? Here, let me help." Damon mocked, letting her go as he walked to her open suitcase. "Well, this certainly won't work." He pulled a pair of plain cotton panties up. "If you're going to go get Stefan, you better take the big guns. Gotta be better than the trashy women Klaus is probably supplying. Take these instead." He held up the red lace boy shorts he loved so much, wiggling his eyebrows in the way he knew she hated.

"Dude!" Jeremy complained, disgusted.

"Stop it, Damon! Just let me be. If you want to come with me, fine. But if you're going to be in my way then you can just go to hell." She snapped as she ripped the clothes out of Damon's grasp.

"Okay, well then what's the plan? Where are you going to go? What about school? You're not even 18." Damon crossed his arms.

"I-I don't know. I'll start in Virginia and there's only a month of school left, anyway. And then I'll have all summer. Plenty of time to find Stefan." Elena raised her brow, challenging Damon. As if she had the answers to everything. Sure, she had been through more than your average 17-year-old but that didn't mean shit.

"Okay, I'll give you that. If you find Stefan- _and I do mean if_ -what next? Klaus will be right there with him, and what happens when he finds out you're still alive? The only reason you're safe right now is because he thinks he won. You really want to put everything at risk? He'll kill you! Use your damn head, Elena!" Damon rose his voice in irritation.

"I'll figure it out, Damon! Just stop, it's your fault he's gone anyway, you don't get to-" Elena broke down as she fell to the floor and wrapped her arms around her middle.

Damon felt as if he had been staked in the gut. He knew it was his fault, he had felt that guilt since Katherine brought the cure. But to hear Elena-selfless, sweet Elena-say that was a new low. He took a step back, clearing his face.

"You're right, Elena. Stefan got the cure for me, and he is god knows where with a sociopath because of me. But you know what won't be my fault? Your death. Do you want all of this to be for nothing? Jenna's death? John's?" Elena's fist connected with Damon's jaw, interrupting his abuse. It was harsh, but she needed to hear it. She hadn't thought things through, hadn't realized the implications of what she was planning.

"Damon," Ric started, but Damon held up his hand to stop him.

"Screw you, Damon. Don't act like you care. Everyone is expendable to you, and you can't deny it."

He took a step forward, glowering down at her, close enough to feel her angry energy radiating around her. "You're. Not. End of story. Now, I'm doing all I can to track Stefan down and that's got to be enough. I will lock you in the basement if I need to, go ahead and try me."

She met his glare for several moments before giving out a huff of air and throwing herself down on the bed, arms crossed. "Fine." She mumbled, giving Damon a petulant pout.

"There. Crisis averted." Damon turned around to Jeremy and Ric. "You think you can handle it from here?"

Ric and Jeremy nodded-the latter a lot less confidently than the former-and Damon took that as his cue to leave. He was going to go home, drink some bourbon, and pray no one needed him for the next 18-24 hours.

* * *

"You have news?" Damon asked as he strode into Sherriff Forbes' office.

"Yes. There have been 2 reports, both in a small town on the southern border of Virginia, in Danville. The houses were burned down, which isn't the pattern for vampires, but investigators are treating the cases as arson. I know you said your brother was a ripper….is it possible he is up to old habits and he and Klaus are burning the houses to hide evidence?" Liz stood up and walked around her desk to show Damon the files.

He flipped through them, looking for any clues or hints that Stefan might leave behind. "It might. That's not usually his M.O., but he also usually has his humanity off during a binge. His humanity could be covering his tracks, or Klaus could be behind it. If it's not in his agenda to be discovered, they won't be discovered. Listen, do me a favor and don't tell Elena about this. If it is Stefan, this will just upset her. When were these attacks?"

"One week ago."

Damon had a sinking suspicion that Stefan and his new BFF, Klaus were one hundred percent behind these. But what Damon didn't know is if Stefan had his humanity on or off. If he was covering his trail, then he guessed that it was on. Regardless, Elena would lose her shit if she found out about his extracurricular activities.

"They can't be far then. I'm going to take off for a few days, see what I can find. Get Caroline to keep Elena distracted, would you?" Damon asked with a tight smile, his phone out and dialing Ric before he had left the police station.

"Hey bud, I need a favor."

* * *

It had been 2 weeks since Elena had heard from Stefan. 2 weeks and one day since she had kissed Damon. 2 weeks since she tried to be a hero and go find Stefan herself.

Ric and Jeremy had been watching her like a hawk. They both made sure she woke up and went to school every day-they even made her drive with them like she was a child, it was ridiculous-and then forced her to do some kind of "family" activity afterward, until she could steal away to her bedroom under the guise of being exhausted. In the few moments of reprieve she got from her brother and pseudo-stepdad, Caroline was chattering on about her drama with Tyler and Matt, and what project she was going to dedicate her summer toward, and what road trip they should take this year. None of it mattered. How could something as insignificant as high school matter when Stefan was off the grid and no one knew where he was or when he'd be home – if he'd even be home. Elena knew Damon had told her friends and family to keep her distracted while he was off doing whatever it was he did in his free time, and she was going to murder him for the radio silence he had been giving her over the past week. Meanwhile, she spent half of her nights when everyone thought she was asleep scouring the internet for clues as to where Stefan could be. She was running on caffeine and adrenaline at this point, but at least she was running at all.

She was motivated by the extreme guilt she felt about her goodbye kiss to Damon. She thought he was going to die and he was alone and he deserved more. It didn't mean that she didn't love Stefan, because she did. More than anything. But she'd stopped hating Damon months ago when he helped her with Stefan after the tomb vampire escaped. He wasn't so bad once you got to know him. A lot of his bitterness and sarcasm was a front to protect himself. Katherine had broken him and Elena could understand why, even if she couldn't understand his feelings for her. He had spent over a century mourning her, only to find out that she may exist. Elena didn't know what she would do if she'd been in Damon's shoes and it had been Stefan that she thought was locked in a tomb for decades, go through all that effort to release him, and then find out he didn't give a damn about her.

Elena turned around the corner to head into the kitchen for a quick snack before she headed to school when she nearly ran into Damon.

"Whoa, pull your eyes away from your phone for a second, will you?" he chastised.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I was texting you. I haven't seen or heard from you in like, a week." She held up her phone as evidence.

Damon gave a nonchalant shrug. "I've been around."

"Doing what?"

Damon turned his back on her, going back to whatever task had him in her kitchen in the first place.

"Are you…making _breakfast_?" Elena asked in astonishment, looking at the spread sitting on the island counter. Eggs, toast, bacon, and pancakes were covering the surface, with orange juice and coffee in jugs, waiting for her.

"You'd starve if I didn't."

"I would _not_! I survived before you, you know."

"Yeah, back when your parents were alive. I experienced Jenna's cooking, and you're not much better."

Elena rolled her eyes but took a seat at the bar and stole a slice of bacon as Damon turned around to place a plate in front of her.

"So, are you going to tell me where you've been?"

"I told you."

"No. You _evaded_. I know you had Alaric keep an eye on me, I'm not an idiot. I'm also old enough to take care of myself."

Damon snorted. "That's doubtful. Eat." He motioned towards her plate.

Elena backed off on the interrogation and dug in. It was good, she had to admit that she wasn't the greatest cook. She was still better than Alaric and Jeremy though. Alaric's cooking consisted of Stouffer's meals and a box of cereal, while Jeremy's diet was full of hot pockets, pizza rolls, and chicken nuggets. Suffice to say, she had missed Damon's cooking while he'd been gone, although she'd never admit it to him.

"I had a lead on Stefan." Damon admitted as Elena poured a glass of juice. The glass slipped from her hand and Damon moved with vampire speed to catch it.

"Did you see him?" she gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

"No. I didn't." he pressed his lips together in a thin line as he observed her reaction. Her face fell and her eyes fell back to her plate as she slowly lifted a fork full of eggs up to her lips, chewing methodically.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon asked after the lack of response from her started to worry him. Elena was never quiet and contemplative like this, not after bad news. Fiery, obstinate, and self-righteous to a fault, but never without words.

Elena allowed her eyes to flit to his face for one second before returning to her meal. "I'm fine."

Damon crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, feeling the cold marble dig into his hips. "Try again."

"I am fine, Damon. You followed a lead, it was a dead end. It happens." Elena shrugged as she pushed back from the counter and stood, carrying her plate to the sink.

"I'm going to have a talk with Ric about his parenting skills."

Elena turned around and looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

"Obviously, aliens abducted my brother's girlfriend and you are merely an imposter. Elena would never be this calm." Damon said as if it was the only plausible explanation.

"I have to go to school, Damon." Elena mumbled as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Damon grabbed the strap and pulled her towards him.

"I'm not buying it. Try anything while you're supposed to be at school today and I swear to God, I will lock you in the boarding house cellar right before I stake Vampire Barbie." He threatened, his nose a mere inch from Elena's as he towered over her.

"One, you're not. Two, I dare you to try to touch Caroline – she'll kill you. Third, I. Am. _Fine_. Believe what you want, I don't really care." Elena shrugged Damon off before she hurried out of the kitchen, and out the front door.

Damon stared in the direction she had disappeared for several moments, not buying her act for a moment. But he had strict orders for Caroline to keep a close eye on Elena all day, and to call him the second Elena tried to pull one of her infamous stunts. He'd find out soon enough if she wasn't as okay as she said she was. Until then, Damon had other things to worry about.

* * *

 **A/N: So I'm still working on Hunger, but I've had this plot in my head for months and have been slowly working on it. This will be pretty much AU from the finale of season 2 onwards. I will probably incorporate a few ideas/scenes from season 3. Originally this was just going to be a short thing detailing what happened in the few weeks (month?) between Season 2 and 3, but I felt too tied down by the timeline so I decided to go full AU. Let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Brick By Boring Brick

Elena sat in her car in the parking lot of Mystic Falls High School, staring at the pilfered item in her lap. Damon would kill her when he realized she'd stolen his phone. She saw it sitting on the counter, untouched, after Damon told her he hadn't found Stefan. She followed her instinct and grabbed the phone while he had his back turned. When he grabbed the strap of her bag she had frozen, so sure she'd been caught. She'd never been able to fool the 170-year-old vampire before, what made her think she could fool him now? But to her surprise (and by some miracle of God), he'd just threatened her and let her go.

She wasn't sure of his password to unlock the phone, but it was just a 4-digit code, how hard could it be? Especially if she asked Jeremy for help. The only problem was framing her query in a way that wouldn't raise his suspicions and have him running to Alaric, who would in turn rat her out to Damon. She was contemplating her options while turning the phone over in her hand when a knock on her window made her jump.

She looked up to see Caroline at her window, beaming, Bonnie right beside her. Elena hurriedly scooped up the phone that had fallen to the floorboard before shoving it in her bag and clambering out of her SUV.

"What were you doing in there?" Caroline gave Elena a suspicious look.

"Oh, nothing. Just you know, preparing myself. Finals week, you know." Elena shrugged, avoiding Caroline's gaze.

"Mmmm." Caroline made a skeptical noise in her throat but seemed to drop the issue to Elena's relief. Elena knew she couldn't trust Caroline to keep her mouth closed, knew she'd report Elena's every move to Damon. Although now that Elena had Damon's phone, that'd give her several hours of a head start. _But what if Damon showed up at the school_ , Elena thought. It honestly wasn't out of the realm of possibility, which worried her. Damon never gave a damn about anyone but Elena, let alone their opinions. If he wised up and figured out what she was up to, no doubt he'd charge into the school and yell at her.

"Hey, I'll be right back. I need to talk to Jeremy about…something. Plans, for this weekend." She hoped Caroline didn't see right through her lie as she headed toward the back of the school to the stoner pit before Caroline or Bonnie could object.

Elena found Jeremy sitting on the ledge behind the dumpster, just like she thought she would. Matt was with him.

"Hey Jer, can you do me a favor?" Elena asked, tightening her grip on her bag nervously.

"What's up?"

"Hey Matt." She smiled meekly as she unzipped the small pocket on the front of her bag. "Jer, are you any good at unlocking phones?"

"I mean, I guess…." Jeremy narrowed his eyes as he regarded her with suspicion.

"I need to get into this phone." Elena held up Damon's phone in its nondescript case.

"Whose phone is that? Do I even want to know?"

"Um, it's Stefan's. He left it and um…. I just wanted to see what was on it. That's all."

"Stefan's…. wait, didn't he call you after he left?" Jeremy jumped down from the ledge and stepped forward, towering over Elena. When did her little brother get so tall?

"Not from this phone though. Please, Jeremy. Can you help me or not?" Elena shifted nervously, glancing around for either of her friends.

"Give it here." He sighed. After some quick finger movements, he handed it back to her.

"This phone's got a security flaw. You can swipe up to use the camera, and if you look at the photos, it will get you access to the rest of the phone. Don't lock it, because it's glitchy and may not happen again."

Elena beamed and gave her brother a quick hug. "Yay, thank you!"

She was almost across the small parking lot when Jeremy's voice called out, "And Elena? Don't tell Damon I helped you break into his phone."

She froze at the sight of the smirk on his lips and scowled at her brother and ex-boyfriend when they broke out into laughter.

She buried her nose in Damon's phone as she walked across campus to the main building, where her locker and first class was located. If she was going to snoop, she needed to do it before she found Caroline and Bonnie again. The last thing she needed was Caroline sending Damon an hourly update, only for her to hear Damon's phone go off in the vicinity. She froze mid-step when she opened his browser. Right there was her clue. A map of southern Virginia, and red marks littering the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Stefan was headed south, and Elena knew just where he was headed.

* * *

"Hey Care," Elena whispered as they sat in class while Alaric wrote on the board.

Caroline glanced over at her from across the aisle.

"You know how you've been talking about a road trip? I know just the place to go." Elena smiled conspiratorially. Caroline's face lit up, all suspicion gone at the thought of their summer.

"Where?" Caroline glanced up toward the front to make sure their history teacher was still absorbed in the notes he was writing on the board.

"Florida. Beaches, sand, it's perfect for the summer!"

Caroline grinned. "Oh my God, Elena, you're a genius! Bonnie will be down there too, maybe we can hang out with her for a bit!"

Elena felt relieved. She had been worried Caroline would put two and two together, but maybe Caroline hadn't been filled in on Damon's adventure. Assuming Damon didn't go all caveman on them, they could plan a month-long road trip down the eastern border and spend several days in Florida. That would give her enough time to find Stefan, and their drive down there would give her time to track his progress south, making sure that he stayed on track.

When the bell rang, the girls gathered their books and filed out of the classroom. Elena has successfully kept Caroline at bay the entire day, now she just had to escape to her car and think of how she was going to get Damon's phone back to him without being found out.

"You coming to the Grill with us, Elena?" Bonnie asked as they walked down the halls. Bonnie was leaving for her family vacation in 4 days, and this was her last chance to hang out with everyone before finals began the next day.

"I can't today." Elena apologized. "I'm sorry, Bon. I've just really got to get home."

Bonnie waved her off. "Don't worry about it, I'll talk to you plenty over the summer I'm sure."

The double doors flew open to reveal the lawn directly outside of the building, ending 20 feet away as the parking lot began. Elena's smile faded quickly at the sight of Damon at the front, leaning casually against his blue Camaro, sunglasses on and lips twisted into a frown.

"Oh, that doesn't look good." Caroline muttered. "See ya." She and Bonnie scampered off, wanting to avoid Damon's obvious foul mood. Elena took a deep breath before she moved toward him. There was no reason for him to be here, Caroline hadn't contacted him and she'd driven herself to school, which only meant one thing. Damon had found out, although she had to give him credit for waiting to confront her after school like a decent, well-adjusted individual.

"Hi Damon."

"Well at least you have the decency to look properly ashamed." He observed, crossing his arms.

"Damon," Elena sighed.

"Get in the car." He growled, stalking around to the driver's side of his car.

"But…I-I drove, my car…" Elena trailed off, motioning towards the other side of the lot where her car was sitting.

"You'll get it later." He said matter-of-factly. "Do as you're told, Elena."

She begrudgingly opened the passenger door and slid in, placing her bag on the floor gently. He was a calm sort of angry right now, something she knew was not a good sign. It was just a matter of minutes until he blew, and there was no telling what his trigger would be. It almost certainly would be something unrelated to why he was angry. Maybe the tremor in her voice as she spoke, or the way she shrunk in her seat. Maybe an idiot driver on the road who didn't use their turn signal, or the way she shut the door to his precious car just a little too roughly. When he was quiet-angry like this, it was always something small and innocuous.

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"Shut up." He snapped, and her neck cricked at how quickly she turned her head around, shocked at his voice. He hadn't spoken to her like this ever, not even when he had been furious at finding her at Slater's.

She remained silent as he roared through town, staring out the window through burning eyes. She refused to let the tears fall, refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her. Finally, Damon screeched into the driveway, stirring gravel at his speedy entrance. He bolted out of the car, slamming the door closed behind him. Elena grabbed her bag and followed him inside the house. By the time she closed the front door and set her bag down, he had already poured himself a glass of bourbon.

She stood silently at the entrance to the living room as she waited for him to speak, her hands clasped primly in front of her.

"You took advantage of me." Damon breathed, almost too quiet for Elena to hear. She gingerly walked down the steps into the room.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't speak. Don't say a goddamn word, Elena." His voice shook along with his body.

She pressed her lips together in a thin line and bowed her head forward, allowing her hair to form a curtain around her face. She wasn't one to feel shame often, that would imply that she was wrong, and she often felt that she was right in her decisions. But something about Damon's reaction to her right now had her feeling shame like she had never felt before. She knew what she had done was wrong, but at the time it had been worth it. Damon's anger seemed a small price to pay for more information on Stefan, at the time. She still wasn't sure she fully regretted it. Sure, she regretted going behind Damon's back, but she needed that information. She could move forward in her plan with that information.

"You betrayed my trust. I have never, ever lied to you. I didn't tell you before I left, because I knew you'd insist on going with me, to the point where you'd endanger your life. But I came over the _minute_ I got back. Why can't that be enough?"

Elena waited a moment before responding, wanting to make sure he was done.

"I know it was wrong. I-I don't…." Elena's voice broke. She didn't know what to say to make it better, if there even was anything.

"You don't even care. You are so wrapped up in Stefan, and endangering yourself to rescue him when he doesn't even want to be rescued. You'd risk throwing everyone else away, we're not even relevant to you." His words cut through her like a blade. As much as it hurt to admit, she couldn't deny his words.

"How do you know he doesn't want to be rescued?" At that, Damon swore and threw his glass into the fire and Elena jumped back as it roared in response to the liquor that had been throw into it.

"Be gone by the time I'm back." Damon's voice was hostile as he flew across the room and the door flew open with a bang. Elena watched him with tears in her eyes as the engine started and he tore out of the driveway. Damon was gone. She hadn't had a chance to return his phone, and now he was gone.

* * *

Elena sighed as she slid into Caroline's car, ignoring the incredulous looks Caroline was throwing her as she reached for her seatbelt.

"Let me get this straight, he picks you up from school-where your car currently is-and takes you here, and then ditches you?"

"Leave it." Elena warned with a heavy sigh. She received enough badmouthing of Damon from Caroline when she had called her half an hour prior, saying she needed a ride. As mad as she was at Damon, she knew she was deserving of at least half of what he had thrown at her.

Caroline opened her mouth to retort but snapped it shut at the withering look Elena was giving her. "Are you okay, at least?"

"I'm fine, I just want to get my car so I can go home."

Elena was tired. After Damon had stormed out she sat down on the couch and cried for a few moments, angry that she had taken his bait, shocked at his cold indifference, and regretful of her actions of the day. She knew Damon and Alaric were throwing unquantifiable resources at finding Stefan and bringing him home. So why was she so intent on finding him herself that she'd risk Damon's friendship? He was the closest link she had to Stefan right now, and she just dismissed him as if he were nothing. She had some apologizing to do. If Damon ever talked to her again, that is. Damon didn't have his phone when he'd left, but she left it in plain sight on the table so hopefully he would see it when he came back to town.

The sun had started to set by the time Elena called Caroline, and it was dark as Caroline drove into the deserted parking lot of Mystic Falls High.

"Are you going to be okay?" Caroline asked, worried that her friend had said very little on the short drive.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I had better get home before Jeremy and Alaric worry. See you tomorrow." Elena collected her belongings and made her way to her dark SUV. She dug around in her bag for her keys, using the headlights from Caroline's car to light her way. Satisfied that she had found what she needed, Caroline pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Elena alone.

She hurried to her car, ready to get home. She looked up just in time to see the silhouette standing beside her car.

"What do you want, Katherine?" Elena's heart pounded, echoing all through her body. She felt a white-hot anger flow through her veins at the sight of her doppelganger. Katherine had been MIA for weeks, they all assumed she'd gone on the run again after the sacrifice.

"I just came to see how everyone's second favorite doppelganger is doing." Katherine gave a coy smile as she sauntered closer to Elena.

"Aren't you supposed to be off hiding under a rock?"

"Aren't you supposed to be sucking face with Damon?"

Elena's face flamed with Katherine's biting retort. "There's nothing going on between us, Katherine. Stop playing your games."

Katherine grimaced and raised a shoulder in a casual shrug. "Might want to find a way to explain your little rendezvous to Stefan, then."

Elena rolled her eyes. She didn't have the energy to do this back and forth that Katherine was so fond of. She was full of empty threats and indifferent innuendos. All talk and no action, Elena had learned that soon after Katherine came into town. Everyone was so worried about what she was up to, when she was going to come after Elena, but Damon had been right-if Katherine was after Elena, Elena would've died the night of the fire in her dad's old building.

Elena was about to tell Katherine just that-that she knew she was all games and intimidation when she gasped at the sight of the figure walking around from the other side of the car.

"Stefan," Elena breathed as she felt her heart jump up into her throat, furiously pumping blood through her veins.

"I told you not to do this." He stepped forward, the varying lights and shadows casting harsh shadows on his face.

"You're here." Elena's lips cracked into a blissful smile, unminding of the words and tension flowing off her boyfriend.

Katherine gave a small laugh from behind Stefan as she leaned against the hood. Elena craned her neck around Stefan's tall figure to give Katherine a glare, but all Katherine did in response was give her hair an effortless flip and examine her nails as if they were of the most interest to her at the moment.

"Ignore her." Stefan cast a quick cursory glance back at the 500-year-old vampire. He turned back to Elena, his mouth twisted into a severe frown.

"Call Damon." Stefan instructed.

"I-I can't. Damon, he…he left, and he doesn't have his phone. But why-I mean, can't you just call Damon yourself? I don't understand."

"Call anyway." Stefan stepped closer until he was mere inches away from Elena. Before Elena could react properly to what was going on (she was so shocked at the fact that her boyfriend was here. Right here in front of her, after all the worrying and looking she did, how else was she supposed to react, honestly?) Stefan was reaching into her pocket and holding her phone out for her to take.

Elena wordlessly took her phone, and with wide and glazed-over eyes, followed Stefan's instruction.

* * *

Damon flew down the deserted highway just south of Wickery Bridge. He was so damn sick and tired of being Elena's lapdog. He knew it was his fault, he had dropped his tough guy exterior too quickly, proven that he would do whatever Elena needed because of his love for her. He let her get under his skin in a way he swore he'd never let happen again, not after Katherine. But just one flash of her big brown eyes full of tears and those perfect lips pursed into a pout, and he was putty in her hands.

And after a taste of her lips, of her forgiveness and good nature directed towards him (something that had always been reserved for Stefan) it was hopeless. So, he used the small amount of duty he felt towards his younger brother and threw his energy into finding Stefan. Elena was sad, Damon had a way to solve it. Simple as that. But he was done. Damon had been fooling himself thinking Elena gave a damn about anyone or anything other than Saint Stefan. He hoped she had taken his advice to be gone by the time he returned, because he could not be held accountable for the shit he would throw on her life if he had to look at her insufferable face.

He slowed down as he approached the sparse trees that signaled the start of the Salvatore property. The house was dark as he drove up, which made him happy. He and Stefan rarely bothered with lights when it was just the two of them-it was pointless, they were perfect predators. But lights and safely locked doors and windows accompanied Elena and her humanness. He turned the key, shutting off the loud roar of the Camaro's engine, and stepped out of the car. With his mind fixated on the bag of blood and glass of bourbon that was waiting for him inside, he turned the knob and threw open the front door.

Silence. Wonderful, peaceful silence. Humans were so damn loud with their heartbeats and breathing and endless chatter to fill the silences. So full of life. Damon didn't mind it in small doses-he wasn't like Stefan, he hadn't had periods of isolation during his 140-odd years as a vampire. He frequented bars and clubs and parties (mostly to find a meal or fuck, often both) and surrounded himself with people. But since coming back to Mystic Falls, the only human whose company he tolerated in large doses was Elena's. And maybe the witch's. But stick him with that damn quarterback and he was bound to dent some skulls. Regardless, after the day he'd had quiet was just what he needed.

Elena's betrayal stung him. He was an asshole, no question, but at least he'd never lied to Elena. She could always count on him for his honesty, if nothing else. So what spurred her to swipe Damon's phone, he couldn't understand. Frankly, he didn't care at this point. He'd made his feelings quite clear, and she'd made hers clear. It was what it was, and Damon was done with the whole thing.

Damon went to the small table in front of the fire and immediately made himself a drink. After downing and immediately refilling, he spotted his phone sitting on the table. He picked it up to see a text from Caroline and a missed call from Elena, but ignored them. Caroline was probably just bitching, and fuck Elena. He'd answer his phone when he was damn well ready.

An hour later he was sufficiently buzzed and topped off on some O Negative, and feeling a little guilty for ditching Elena. He was still rightfully pissed, but he hoped she got home okay. Deciding to stop by her house and check, he grabbed his leather jacket and headed out. The air was unseasonably cool and crisp, perfect for a late-night run over to her house. He wasn't going to go inside, he wasn't ready to see her because he knew he'd cave immediately. No, he was just going to peek inside her room, make sure she was safe in bed, and then he'd go hunt for a midnight snack.

The front of the house was lit up, signaling that Alaric and Jeremy were still up, although Damon was positive that Elena was already asleep, or nearly there, at 11 pm on a school night. After a cursory peek into her dark room to see no sign of her, he decided to go inside the house. It was finals week (damn, when had he become such a sap, knowing the schedule of a girl and a bunch of her teenage friends), so maybe she was up late cramming.

"Sup." Jeremy's distracted greeting came from the couch, where he was in an intense online match.

"Your sister here?" Damon asked, shutting the door behind him.

Alaric walked into the living room from the kitchen. "What do you mean, she's with you. Isn't she?" Alaric's forehead wrinkled in anxiety.

"No. Not since this afternoon. You didn't _check_?" Damon asked, incredulous. Elena had a damn target on her back and a certain knack for finding trouble. You check on her at least once a night just to make sure she didn't drown herself while brushing her teeth, Alaric and Jeremy should have known that by now.

"Shit," Alaric sighed as he threw down the towel he was holding and tore up the stairs with Damon on his heels. Alaric threw Elena's door open to a dark room, the bed untouched.

"Shit, damn, fuck!" Alaric cursed, spinning on his heel and throwing a kick at the leg of the table in the hall.

"You've got to be kidding me." Damon hissed through clenched teeth. "Has she been home at all?"

"You were the last one with her, dude." Jeremy piped up from the stairs, headset resting around his neck.

Dread suddenly filled Damon as his dead heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He whipped out his phone and noticed the voicemail from Elena. He strode down the hall away from Alaric and Jeremy as he pushed play and held the phone to his ear.

Elena's voice traveled through the phone and into his ear. "Damon, Stefan has a message for you. You've been warned once. This is your last warning. Be at the old tomb under the church by midnight."

Damon's hand clenched the phone tightly and he could hear the metal and plastic strain under his grip. Elena's voice was detached, methodical. She had been compelled. He had told her repeatedly, that until they found her necklace she had to drink vervain. It was too risky not to. Too risky because of precisely this.

"I know where she is." His strained voice choked out. All his anger toward Elena vanished just like that. It was his fault. He knew he shouldn't have left her. Just because Klaus was out of Mystic Falls didn't make the town safe. Whatever Stefan had done, it was Damon's fault. And he was going to do whatever necessary to make sure she was safe.


	3. Chapter 3: Nicely Played

Elena sat on the ground, her legs bunched up underneath her, as she glared up at Katherine.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Katherine. But let me go."

Katherine rolled her eyes and gave a big sigh as she pushed off the wall and moved toward Elena. "Calm down, no one's going to hurt you. Such a drama queen." She added on the last part under her breath.

Elena scoffed. "You and Stefan kidnapped me before making me call Damon and threaten him!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?"

Elena didn't reply, content to stay seated on the dirty ground while Stefan stood outside the tomb with his arms crossed stoically. After Stefan had forced her to call Damon, he and Katherine threw her in her SUV and drove her across town to the church where they were currently waiting. Elena wasn't sure why Stefan hadn't just compelled her to get in the car and sit in the tomb, instead of tying her wrists up-he'd obviously had no issue with compelling her to call his brother. Stefan's actions weren't adding up to Elena, nothing about him made sense.

"Yeah, and I don't get it. Why kidnap me if you're not going to do anything?"

"Stefan told you to back off. You didn't listen. When Damon went south to find him last week, it was a close call. He almost ran head first into Klaus."

"Why'd you go out looking for him? You're in as much danger as I am, if not more. Klaus hates you."

"I'm smarter."

Elena laughed. "Smarter than Klaus? All you've been telling us is how Klaus is smarter than literally everyone."

"I'm smarter than _you_." Katherine clarified. "You and Damon just run in with half-planned ideas, full of heart and heart gets you _killed_."

Stefan walked back into the tomb, a stony look on his face. "Stop, Katherine."

"Stefan," Elena began, straightening her back, "You are home, you're here. Just stay. Let's just go home, and we can figure everything out, okay?"

"You think it's that simple? Just go home, like everything is normal, go back to school? Like nothing's changed?"

"We can help you off the human blood, Stefan. We've done it before."

"I've killed people, Elena. A lot of people. Klaus will come looking for me eventually. I can't stay here and play high school with you. Everything's changed."

"My feelings for you haven't."

"That what you're telling yourself?" Stefan gave a harsh laugh.

"I love you, Stefan, and I think that together we can fix this."

"I'M A VAMPIRE!" Stefan roared and Elena flinched, scrambling back from him as well as she could with her hands tied behind her. "You can't just _fix_ me!"

"Stefan, calm down." Katherine stepped forward, ready to intervene. She cared very little for Elena's life, but if Damon did come and there was a single scratch on Elena there was no doubt in her mind that Damon would rip her head off.

"You don't scare me." Elena lifted her chin, hoping her bravery would cover the fear she had exposed. "I'm not giving up, I can't give up."

"It's done, Elena. We're done. You decided that when you kissed my brother."

Elena backed down at Stefan's harsh words. Damn Katherine. Damn her for telling Stefan, she knew what that kiss had meant. Elena was not Katherine, she refused to be anything like Katherine. But it was too late. Stefan knew. He knew, and he hated her for it.

"I'm so sorry, Stefan. Just-just let me go. I'll tell Damon, I'll make sure he stops and I won't go looking for you, okay? I understand, I get it."

"I don't think you will though, that's the problem. And I can't have that. Katherine's right, I'm not going to hurt you but maybe this will make Damon think twice."

"Who knows how long it will be before Damon comes home. He's mad, he hates me right now, more than you do. He's not going to come out here." Elena bargained. She was bluffing, but she knew she wasn't far off. Damon may have left for a while, he may not come back for days and even if he did, she wasn't sure he'd be excited to rush off and save her. At best, Alaric and Jeremy would wonder where she was at when she didn't show up to school tomorrow, but it may take them 24 hours to put it all together and drive over to the boarding house, find Damon's phone and her voicemail, and get here. She was on her own.

Stefan gave a harsh laugh. "Oh, he'll come out here. My brother loves you more than anything. Hell, he loves you more than he ever loved her." He said, waving his hand toward the vampire.

Katherine scoffed at that. "Oh, please, Stefan. How long are you going to play this game? I ditched you both because of shit just like this. Let her go, she's not worth it." Katherine curled her lip in disdain as she looked down at Elena's body twisted on the ground, dirty and tired.

"Not until Damon gets here." Stefan insisted.

"Can you at least untie me?" Elena reasoned. She wasn't sure why they had her tied up. Getting out of here, away from 2 vampires, was just laughable.

"Are you going to run?" After Elena shook her head Stefan knelt to untie the ropes. "I'm sorry, Elena but I had to. Klaus can't know you're alive. I can't take any unnecessary risks."

"What the fuck, Stefan?" Elena jerked around, causing the knife Stefan had in his hands to cut her wrist but she paid no mind since her hands were now free and she jumped up at the sight of Damon stomping forward, his shoulders rigid and tense, with a deep scowl on his face.

"Good, you're here." Stefan straightened up behind Elena.

"Of course I'm fucking here, with a message like that." Damon scoffed as he stopped in front of Elena, grabbing her arm, and yanking her behind him.

"Damon, it's okay." Elena whispered. "They weren't going to hurt me."

Damon looked down at her, nostril flared. "Says the girl gushing blood from her wrist."

Elena gasped and looked down to see that Damon was right. Elena had blood rushing down her wrist, from where Stefan had nicked her. Elena's eyes flew to Stefan to see veins growing under his eyes as the bloodlust took over.

"I told Elena not to find me, Damon. I meant it. I'm not coming home, I don't _want_ to come home. I hope I got your attention."

Damon gave a low growl deep in his throat. "I will tear your head off."

Elena wrapped her arm around his arm, "He won't hurt me Damon."

"He already did, Elena." Damon snarled, and Elena noticed he had his fangs extended and veins showing in his anger at Stefan.

"Quit with the histrionics, Salvatore. And get her out of here." Katherine warned as she held onto Stefan's arm, preventing him from rushing forward should he get the sudden urge to feast on his former girlfriend.

"Stop looking for me, Klaus cannot find her, and he will if you keep it up." Stefan hissed.

"Yeah, no problem. You can both go to hell for this." Damon snapped before he grabbed Elena and fast-traveled them out of the tomb, not stopping until they were outside the church.

Damon set Elena down while keeping a tight grip on her shoulders as she adjusted to the sudden movement.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just give me a minute." Elena moaned, holding her head, praying for the trees surrounding them to stop spinning for just five minutes. Damon watched her intently, anticipating the wild meltdown Elena was bound to have after the events of tonight.

"No, I mean _are you okay_?" Damon emphasized as he lifted his wrist to make a puncture for Elena to drink from and heal the gash on her wrist. She'd lost too much blood already and she needed to heal while Katherine could still hold Stefan back.

Elena shook her head at first, denying Damon's offer but after a shake of his wrist in her face she begrudgingly took his wrist and took two big swallows before choking and shoving him away, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. And just like that, she was good as new.

"Let's just go." Elena urged as she strode to her car and climbed in.

Damon took one last look at the church before he followed her.

They pulled into the long, winding driveway after a 5-minute drive of complete and utter silence. Elena sat still, emotionless. She knew Damon was holding his breath for her inevitable downfall, but she felt nothing. Maybe she was in shock, she didn't know.

Damon gave Elena one last piercing look before he stepped out of the car and, spurred by her lack of movement, went around to her side and opened the door for her to step out.

"Alaric is here." She said.

Damon nodded, it wasn't a question. "Yes, I told him I'd come back here after I got you." He opened the front door and led her inside.

"Elena,"

"Thank god!" Alaric and Jeremy's voices rang out at the sight of Elena. Jeremy's arms enveloped Elena in a hug as Alaric hovered nearby, anxious at Elena's state after her dealings with Stefan and Katherine.

"I'm fine, Jeremy, honestly." Elena gave a small smile to Alaric over her brother's shoulder.

"What the hell happened?" Alaric crossed his arms and Damon had to stifle a laugh at Alaric in full on Dad mode-something he did far too well for a fatherless, alcoholic widow to a vampire.

"It was a warning, that's all. Stefan told us, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off."

"Well, let's get her home. It's after midnight." Alaric moved to usher the Gilbert children toward the door, but Damon jumped into his path.

"Uh, no. You've already proved yourself incompetent when it comes to watching Little Miss Troublemaker here. She'll stay here tonight, where I can keep an eye on her."

Alaric scoffed. "Seriously? You think she's safer _here_?"

"He's got a point, Ric. You know he won't let her out of his sight." Jeremy conceded. Damon knew he liked Baby Gilbert for a reason.

Several minutes later, Damon had succeeded in ushering Alaric and Jeremy out the door with a promise that she would be in class first thing in the morning and he was in the process of maneuvering Elena upstairs so she could get some sleep.

"Thank you, Damon." Elena mumbled tiredly as she stumbled up the stairs.

"Don't mention it."

"No, really," Elena stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs, causing Damon to run right into her. "I was a jerk to you today and I deserved all those things you said to me. But you came back anyway." She looked up at him with those big brown eyes of hers, glistening with unshed tears. No. She could not start crying now. All she had to do was start the waterworks and Damon would move mountains if that's what she wanted.

"Well, I'm sorry for abandoning you. It was stupid and irresponsible, especially given how I just got back into town. You could have really been hurt tonight. I promise I'll never leave you again." Damon would do whatever was necessary to protect Elena, especially from his brother. Damon didn't plan for anyone to get their paws on Elena, but after tonight Stefan was at the very bottom of that list, right next to Klaus. He didn't know what game his little brother was playing, but it wasn't one they needed to be a part of.

Elena gave him a small smile before turning back around and walking down the hall to Stefan's room. Of course. Of course, she wouldn't believe tonight's events meant Stefan was gone, that he was past saving. She still believed in her boyfriend, hero hair and all. Damon didn't think she'd ever consider Stefan too far gone, even if he killed a damn puppy in front of her. While she had always held Damon on a high pedestal that he would inevitably fall off, Saint Stefan didn't even need a pedestal because he set the bar for what Elena decided was acceptable behavior for a vampire. Stefan fed on animals? Well then, every vampire should feed on animals. Stefan hid his vampire instincts? Well, so should everyone else. Hell, tonight proved it. Stefan kidnapped her, compelled her to lure Damon out, tied her up, and god knows what else and she _still_ went to his bed, finding comfort in being surrounded by his things.

Damon sighed and took a seat outside his brother's bedroom door. Jeremy had been right, Damon wasn't going to leave Elena alone tonight. He wasn't going to force her to sleep in his room-that would just lead to another argument. He'd allow her to sleep wherever she felt most comfortable (as much as it pained him) but he would keep watch outside her door all night. What happened tonight was to never be repeated, not if he could help it.

* * *

 _Elena glanced around the room, trying to take in her surroundings and solve the mystery of where she was. There were boxes and crates everywhere, lining the huge, blank walls. Was she in a warehouse, maybe? It was sort of dark and very hot, so that was her best guess. She stood up and brushed dirt and debris off her legs._

 _How had she arrived here? The last thing she remembered was saying goodnight to Damon and walking into Stefan's room. She'd sleepily stripped off her clothes and found one of Stefan's t-shirts before peeling back the covers and crawling in bed. She thought she'd noticed Damon giving her an incredulous look as she shut the bedroom door, but it wasn't abnormal for her to sleep over and stay in Stefan's room. She had done it several times in the few weeks since Stefan had left, and she always slept in her boyfriend's room. Being surrounded by the familiar sights and smells that reminded her of him always helped her feel much less alone._

 _But this place was different. There was nothing safe or familiar about it. She walked around, trying to find a clue as to where this warehouse was located. Had Stefan come back? Was Katherine carrying out some sort of plot that involved taking her away from Mystic Falls? She knew she wasn't in Mystic Falls-there weren't any warehouses this large in the small town she grew up in. But maybe she was still in Virginia, maybe she wasn't far from home._

 _She turned the corner and gasped at what she found. Damon was lying bloodied and crumpled on the ground, face down. She rushed over to him and turned him over. He hadn't been staked, he was still alive. She gave a relieved sigh as she fell to her knees and surveyed the rest of the empty space before her._

 _Bodies littered the ground and there was blood everywhere. So much blood. They seemed dead, but Elena knew by now to make no assumptions. She picked up a nearby broom and broke it over her thigh, giving her a weapon in case she needed it as she slowly crept forward. As she methodically surveyed the bodies lying on the floor, she noticed a familiar head full of blonde hair._

" _Caroline," she gasped, running forward. She was nearly at her friend's side when she heard a male voice yell her name. She looked up to see Stefan and a smile broke out on her face. Thank God Stefan was okay. Her smile fell at the look of sheer panic on his face._

" _Stefan, what is it? What's wrong?" she stood up to move towards him, but he shook his head frantically and pointed in her direction._

" _MOVE, ELENA, NOW!" He bellowed and she turned around in time to see Tyler stalking toward her. He looked different-angry, feral almost, and hungry. Elena raised her makeshift weapon and backed up. She didn't want to use it, didn't want to hurt Tyler. Was it a full moon, was that why he was acting oddly? But then he didn't look wolfish. No, it was something else. Something worse. He started to approach her at a faster pace so she broke out in a run, toward Stefan._

 _Stefan had his arms outreached, ready for her. She didn't know why he wasn't moving. He could move faster than her or Tyler, he could outrun them. Why wasn't he saving her? As she ran across the warehouse, jumping over bodies, she looked back to see how much of a lead she had on him. But in her effort to measure it, she tripped over a body and stumbled. She scrambled up, trying to get away but it was too late. Tyler had caught up with her. She faced him and held up her hands._

" _Tyler, no, it's okay. It's me, Elena. We're friends." She tried reasoning but it was too late. Tyler approached her and drove her into a large wooden crate. She screamed as his mouth descended on her neck and he bit into her flesh._

" _Elena, Elena, it's okay!" she heard Damon's voice call from the distance. Damon was unconscious though, how could he be-_

Elena's eyes flew open and she flailed her arms and legs, trying to break free from whatever had a grip on her.

"No, no, let me go. Let me go, Tyler." She cried, thrashing wildly as she felt her arm encounter something hard.

"Elena, it's me. It's Damon. You're safe." Damon's voice called out urgently. Elena was in bed. Not in a warehouse. Damon was holding her, not Tyler. He was trying to calm her, not feed on her. She stopped her struggle, allowing Damon to fully gather her in his arms. "You're okay, shhh, it's okay, you're safe." He crooned, his breath hot in her ear.

"Damon," she gasped.

"You were having a nightmare, Elena." Damon sighed as he relaxed back against the headboard, his arms still wrapped around Elena.

"Yeah…" she breathed as she sat up and brushed her matted hair back, away from her face. She was drenched in sweat like she had been in the throes of the incredibly realistic nightmare for an hour, but she knew it had probably only been 30 seconds before Damon burst in to wake her.

"You said Stefan's name, and Caroline's…I was worried the idiot came back for round 2. Wanna tell me what happened?" Damon ran his fingers through the long strands of Elena's hair, trying to tame what had been tangled and mangled during her dream.

"I was somewhere strange…a warehouse, maybe? I don't know, it was hot and stuffy and there were boxes and crates everywhere. You were there, but you were unconscious. It looked like there had been a fight, there were bodies everywhere but I don't know if they were dead bodies, or vampires or something. I saw Caroline, but she was out like you were. And then Stefan was yelling my name, trying to warn me but I don't think he could move. It was Tyler, he was coming after me. I don't know what was wrong with him, he wasn't a wolf but he was crazy. And he chased me and I tripped and then he-he bit me."

"I'll kill that damn mutt." Damon muttered, his eyes dark and angry.

"He didn't actually hurt me, Damon. It was a dream." Elena sighed as she pushed Damon's arm off from around her middle.

"That's all it better be."

Damon had half a mind to call Vampire Blondie right now and make sure the werewolf was on his leash, but Caroline was a princess and would kill him for waking her up less than 2 hours before she had to be up for school. He continued to stroke Elena's hair as he listened to her pulse slowly calm down to its normal rate. He'd been nearly asleep when Elena had called out Stefan's name and for just a moment, he was terrified that his moment of weakness had allowed Stefan to return once again for Elena. Damon had burst into his brother's room to see Elena tangled in the sheets, her long mahogany hair a stark contrast against the white sheets as she writhed and shrieked. It took far too long for Damon to wake her from her dreams and calm her down, but he took pride in the fact that he could at all. It wasn't that long ago that she viewed him as the villain she needed protection from, and now he was doing the protecting.

"Well, if you're okay I'll just…" Damon started to move away so Elena could get a little more rest, but her fingers wrapped around his wrist, her eyes wide and frightened.

"Would you-do you mind…staying? Just until I go to sleep?" She could ask to stake him in that little voice and with those pitiful eyes and he'd hand her the stake. He gave a hesitant nod and settled back against the headboard as she wrapped her arm around his torso and laid her head on his stomach.

He'd tried so hard to maintain his distance since he came back to Mystic Falls, and for a while, he'd succeeded. Elena reminded him of his youth-she was so much like Katherine, while at the same time being better than Katherine in so many ways. It hadn't been his choice to fall for Elena, he was a fatalist after all. And what were the chances of running into two version of the same magnificently beautiful woman? No, this was his fate and regardless of if he lucked out with the girl this time or not (although, let's be honest when has Damon ever lucked out?), he was hers. So, he may as well enjoy these little moments that she allowed him because he knew the ending of this story. Stefan would come back, they would fix him, and that status quo would be reestablished. All would be right in the world, and Damon would be left in the dark once again.

* * *

"No, Elena, absolutely not!"

"We have to, Damon!"

"I hate to say it, but I kind of agree with Damon on this one."

Elena shot her brother a murderous look, to which he held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry sis. But he's right. Stefan was pretty clear. Either he's completely gone and it's too dangerous to get him back, or he was just trying to intimidate you to protect you. Either way, it's too dangerous."

Elena threw her arms up in frustration and stalked across the room, away from her friend and brother.

"Come on Elena, what did you expect?"

Elena looked over towards Jeremy, sitting on the couch and leaning toward the phone lying on the coffee table, Bonnie's voice echoing through the speakers.

"For _someone_ to take my side, obviously." Elena snapped, arms crossed and defiant frown marring her face.

"Just give me some time, let me see if I can learn any spells that might help, if and when, we do find Stefan and bring him home. In the meantime, Damon can keep tabs on where Stefan and Klaus are at, so we're not on some wild goose chase when the time comes." Bonnie's calm voice reasoned.

Elena knew she wasn't going to win this battle. It was now mid-June, 3 weeks since Elena had last seen Stefan. Damon had made it his personal mission to move on and convince everyone else to do the same. He was still angry at Katherine and Stefan, and any mention of Stefan threw him in a foul mood that caused him to turn to blood or booze, sometimes both. But Elena had to give him credit, he never ran off again, not even for half a day. He was always within reach of Elena.

Meanwhile, Elena was still making it her mission in life to rescue Stefan from Klaus' evil clutches. She knew Stefan was just trying to protect her, but she wanted to protect him. And this particular idea? The one where she and Caroline headed south to Georgia where the latest string of attacks gave away her boyfriend's location and tried to bring Stefan home was vehemently turned down by Damon, Jeremy, and even Bonnie.

"Fine. I'll wait until the 23rd and see what you guys come up with." Elena conceded with a sigh. She'd be 18 then, no one could legally stop her then. And she wouldn't have to beg Damon to bankroll their little expedition, as she'd have access to her trust by then.

Damon gave her a wary look but backed down. "I'm glad that's settled then. Keep me informed." He said before hitting end on the phone.

Elena took a seat across from her brother and slumped forward, burying her face in her hands.

Damon sighed. He'd had enough of Elena's melodrama. He thought that what Elena had been through-which she refused to talk about-would have been the tipping point but it seemed to have the opposite effect. She was just that much more determined to find Stefan. He knew damn well what her very specific timeline of June 23rd was about-he wasn't a moron. But he didn't plan for her to get that far, so it was inconsequential to him.

"I'm going to the station to squeeze some more info out of Liz. I know it's hard, but do try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone." Damon gave Elena a pointed look before he walked out the door. It was time for him to work on his own plan.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I managed to find time to put this together between study sessions and wanted to post it before I go MIA for finals week. For those of you who are following Hunger, don't worry the new chapter will be up within the next week or two. I hit a bit of a roadblock and needed to take a quick break, but I'm working on it as we speak. I love you guys and thanks to everyone who reads and reviews every update, it's much appreciated!**


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